Standardized Percent Behind Median Skier

This is simply my go-to performance measure as an alternative to FIS points. It is similar to FIS points in that smaller values are better, and that it is derived from a percent back calculation.

However, instead of basing the value on the percent behind the first skier, I use the median, or middle skier. The reason for this is that I’ve found it to be a bit more stable. When someone like Marit Bjoergen skis away from the field this can severely elevate and distort everyone else’s FIS points. If we base things on the median skier, then Bjoergen will get a very low (i.e. good) point value from the race, rather than giving everyone else very bad values. That makes more sense to me.

It is standardized in the sense that I’m normalizing the values based on recent history for events of a similar type. So the values from mass start races are normalized with respect to other mass start events, and so on. The removes the need for the use of F factors, which are laughably bad at their supposed purpose anyhow. Standardized percent behind the median skier is the result of what I discussed in these two previousposts. (The actual methodology has changed slightly since I wrote those, but the general idea is the same.)